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Family farmed

The average price for Mendocino Pinot Noir grapes rose 12% from 2003 to 2004 followed by another increase of 22% in 2005. Anderson Valley Pinot Noir grapes now sell for as much as $4 a pound which puts a crimp in the production of a $16 bottle of wine. This bottling is all Anderson Valley Pinot Noir but we designate it Mendocino because it's not quite as complex as our Méthode à l'Ancienne. The grapes were processed the same way we make all our Pinot: the cap on the fermenting must was punched-down by hand rather than pumped-over and the wine was aged ten months in 60 gallon French oak barrels.

The best place to catch up with a farmer is leaning against the bed of the pickup. Chris and Stephanie Tebbut, with daughter Saba , grow more than delicious Pinot Noir. They also nurture organic olives, blueberries, pluots and Asian pears adjacent to the Navarro River.

Sixty-nine percent comes from two family-run farms in Boonville, one owned by the Charles family and the other by the Tebbuts. Ten percent comes from our own grapes and the remainder from other family vineyards in the Philo end of Anderson Valley. This declassified wine from a great vintage is actually better than pricier Pinots from more difficult years. It may be labeled Mendocino but it tastes and smells like Anderson Valley Pinot. Whiffs of ripe cherry, lavender and cedar followed by a crisp finish will make you think you are drinking a much more expensive bottle. Because of the continuing rise of Pinot prices we have less to sell this year than last and probably even less next vintage. Don't wait too long! Moderately priced Pinots are getting as rare as family-owned farms. Gold Medal winner.

Four generations of the Charles Family have made the Anderson Valley home. Bill and Nancy , generation three, have converted former grazing land into a lovingly tended vineyard